The history of
origination and development of stereo-cinema in the USSR
is rooted in the 30's. But most important mark in its
development is the year 1941.

In February of 1941 in Moscow, at a movie theater
"Moscow" (nowadays "House of
Khanzhonkov"), a premiere of three-dimensional film
"CONCERT" was held. The uniqueness of this
event was that due to the light absorbing raster screen the spectators could
observe 3D images without any individual devices (glasses
etc.)

It was the first in the world
commercial demonstration of a stereofilm without glasses.

The form
of the screen was unusual - an upwards extended
rectangle with a ratio of the sides 5:3. Left and right
frames of stereopair had the same ratio of the sides,
which was dictated by their horizontal layout on one
standard frame of a 35 mm film.

As far as we know, in the
"Concert" movie, horizontal placement of the
right and left images of stereopair on each 35 mm frame
was used for the first time. In this sense it is fair to
consider the given system as a first prototype of today's
system "STEREO-70".

For shooting a usual for those
times 35 mm camera has been used. In front of the camera
two mirrors were installed. The projection of film was
conducted using 35 mm film projector equipped with a
similar two-mirror device.

The film consisted of several
concert numbers or scenes, which most effectively
presented the "third" dimension, being in front
as well as behind the screen, creating impression of
coming out of the screen into the hall and so forth.

Singularity of the show, visible
spatiality of the images, originating without glasses and
generally without any technical devices, have achieved
huge success of a show. Until these days majority of the
older spectators link their experience of stereo-cinema
perception with unforgettable impression of youth or
childhood from review of stereofilms at the
"Moscow" 3D movie theater.

The Second World War, which
reached the USSR several months later, had disrupted
operation of the "Moscow" movie theater. It was
the first in the world commercial movie theater with
raster screen system, ensuring separation of the left and
right images of the stereopair.